When I was in junior high, my ninth-grade social studies teacher invited an ex-con to speak to his classes. He was an older guy who had served many years in prison, gotten out and married, and quite often spoke to kids about his life of crime. I still remember him holding up his arm and saying that thousands of dollars in drugs had gone into that limb.
It had probably been about five years since the Warren Beatty-Faye Dunaway version of Bonnie and Clyde had come out.
Our ex-con guest mentioned the movie and said, There wasn't anything glamorous about Bonnie and Clyde. I knew men who were in prison with Clyde, and he was just no good. Bonnie was nothing but a common prostitute.
During December a two-part Bonnie and Clyde mini-series was on TV. I watched the first night, but missed the second night because of drunken problems (I wasn't drunk, but sometimes I think it would be better if it were I). The TV movie is available on Netflix now, so I watched the DVD recently and thought it was kind of interesting, though not as well made as I remember the earlier movie.
When I see a movie based on a true story, I almost always go into research mode. That's how I came up with TEN FUN FACTS ABOUT BONNIE AND CLYDE, though maybe I should call it TEN INTERESTING FACTS because I don't think Bonnie and Clyde had much fun.
Here's some Bonnie and Clyde trivia:
- I haven't found any evidence that Bonnie was a prostitute, but she was a waitress. I guess she thought running off with Clyde would be more fun than serving meat loaf. Bonnie and Clyde probably met at a party at a friend's house.
- Bonnie was married, but not to Clyde. She married Roy Thornton when she was 16. He wasn't much of a husband, so she went back home to her mama; but she was still wearing her wedding ring when she died. Bonnie and Thornton did not divorce. He was in prison when he learned of her death.
- Bonnie was 4'11". Clyde was 5'7".
4. Bonnie and Clyde are remembered as bank robbers during the Great Depression of the 1930s. They didn't rob all that many banks, and didn't get much money when they did. Clyde preferred to rob gas stations and small stores.
5. A famous photo shows Bonnie holding a gun and smoking a cigar. The photo was taken as a joke. No evidence exists that Bonnie shot guns during the robberies. She did not smoke cigars, but she liked her whiskey.
6. Clyde wanted to be a musician. His saxophone was in the car in which they were killed.
7. During 1933, Clyde accidentally drove off the road and into a dry riverbed. The car caught on fire. Bonnie's legs were severely burned. She couldn't see a doctor. Her legs healed but she couldn't walk well. From then on, she hopped on one leg because the other was useless, or Clyde carried her.
8. Clyde had trouble walking, too. When he was in prison during 1930, he was starved, beaten by guards, and raped repeatedly. He was so desperate to get out that while working on a chain gang he used an ax to cut off two of his left toes. I'm not sure why losing a couple of toes got him out of prison.
9. Texas Rangers, led by Frank Hamer, tracked down Bonnie and Clyde by finding that they followed a pattern of visiting their own families and gang members' families. The Texas Rangers worked out a deal with a gang member's father in Louisiana: The father helped the Rangers by pretending to have something wrong with his car when he knew Bonnie and Clyde would drive by. They stopped to help him and ended up fulla lead. The cooperative father earned a pardon for his son.
Well, this has been fun, and I know a lot more facts about Bonnie and Clyde so maybe we'll do this again. Or I could discuss some of Milton's poetry, or translate Middle English for you.
I suspect you're more interested in Bonnie and Clyde.
I'm sorry, but I can't read your blogs today until I watch my recording of The Academy Awards. I don't want to accidentally find out from someone's blog who the winners were.
Infinities of love,
Janie Junebug
Hi Janie .. loved the film when it came out - and of course it was sensationalised .. but still made a great watch (back then). Interesting to find out all those facts - and as you say when you're on the run life is most definitely not easy ...
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed those facts - cheers Hilary and PS hope you enjoyed the Oscars ..
Just watched the Oscars, and I enjoyed the show. Ellen is an excellent host.
DeleteI won't be an Oscar spoiler, Janie Junebug, but for me the biggest surprise and greatest disappointment of the night was my favorite movie, Fat Guy Goes Nutzoid, losing the race for Best Picture.
ReplyDeleteMost biopics would never get made if they cast actors who actually resembled the people upon which the movies were based. Thank you for all these interesting facts about Bonnie and Clyde. There was one FUN fact, too. They had sax in the car. :)
Ba-da-dum on the drum, followed by the clang of the cymbal. Yeah, Warren Beatty is 6'4" and Faye Dunaway is 5'7". They didn't look anything like Bonnie and Clyde. They were much too glamorous.
DeleteHuh, who knew? Well, you knew, that's how you were able to compile this list. But I didn't know. Very interesting. How does chopping off a couple of toes get you out of prison?
ReplyDeleteIf chopping off toes could get someone out of prison then I wouldn't be blogging in my cell. The funny part is that Clyde's mother and someone else, maybe a relative, had been writing to the governor to beg for clemency for Clyde. The governor was going to grant it, so he would have been released a couple of weeks later. Now I'm confused. Maybe he did get out because the governor let him go, and he cut off the toes not knowing he was getting out anyway. I don't know. I'll have to check my sources again.
DeleteSuch "interesting" facts. I remember seeing the movie. In retrospect, it wasn't that great.
ReplyDeleteBlessings and Bear hugs!
It's been so many years since I saw the movie that I don't know if it's good. It's considered a classic, but has it held up over time? Maybe it's on Netflix.
DeleteWell then, I won't tell you.
ReplyDeleteThuggery has been with us all through human history. Perversely, that cheers me. Why? Thanks for asking. Because it makes me realize that it's not just the modern world which is evil.
That's an excellent comment because I've said virtually the same thing many times. People complain that the world is getting worse and worse, but there's really nothing new under the sun. We just know more about the world now, and news travels so fast.
DeleteI promise not to spoil the fun of your Oscar party.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I watched and enjoyed.
DeleteDear Janie, your facts and what the speaker who'd been in prison said remind me of what Sister Scholastica, my mentor in college, said to me when I told her how much I liked the movie "Birdman in Alcatraz," a movie in which Burt Lancaster starred. She said, "Yes, it's a really creative story, but hardly any of it is true." And that's how so many films are. A good story; little actual truth." Peace.
ReplyDeleteIt's so rare to find a bio-pic that doesn't dress up the truth. At the moment, I can't think of a single movie based on real people that sticks to reality.
DeleteMost of that I have read before, but not about the wreck, fire and her legs. That was interesting. Thanks for the 10 items, too. Now I just might have to look them up.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading about them, but the ex-con was right when he said there was nothing glamorous about them.
DeleteHere it is 2PM on Monday and I still don't know. I'll find out sooner or later.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post on Bonnie and Clyde! Thanks
I know the winners!
DeleteThe life they lived weren't anything to be proud of because they did do a lot of bad things. But, I still feel so bad for them. Yes, they broke a lot of laws and did a lot of bad things, but I don't think they were monsters either. They probably just wanted a way out of crappy situations and things got out of control, like most people. The worst part though, is they were slaughtered in that way, when they should have been arrested and eventually buried next to each other. I mean, they did try to help a guy and that's when they ended up dead? That just doesn't seem right to me.
ReplyDeleteThey stopped to help the man because they knew who he was. I don't know that they helped people on a regular basis. Willy Dunne Wooters and I talked about the way they were killed. The Texas Rangers had been waiting for them for a couple of days. Those guys were probably filled with adrenaline and so went overboard. Besides, The Barrow gang had killed more than one officer. Police officers are, understandably, very hard on people who kill officers. One Web site I found said that The Texas Rangers shot Bonnie and Clyde to pieces because Clyde was an incredibly good shot, and they didn't want to become one of his targets.
DeleteYou’re right, Janie, these facts are interesting.
ReplyDeleteThey sound like a pair of desperate, poverty-stricken no-hopers more than violent criminals.
It would have been worse than miserable in Texas during the depression. That's no excuse to take up a life of crime, but I think they got started and didn't know how to stop.
DeleteRe Bonnie & Clyde: My mind is made up--don't confuse me with facts!!
ReplyDeleteI made up all the facts. It's okay.
DeleteInteresting. Unless you actually did make them all up, then it's excellent creative writing.
ReplyDeleteHighlight of the Oscars for me? Pink's rendition and that dress! So pretty, although I could have done without seeing her belly button. Seriously... how do these women not have wardrobe malfunctions???
I can be creative, but in this case, it's all true, IF we can trust what we find online. I think a lot of those women do have wardrobe malfunctions. It seems as if somebody always has a boob popping out on the red carpet. Pink's voice is powerful, but I prefer Judy Garland's wistfulness.
DeleteI always loved Faye Dunaway as Bonnie. I wanted to look like her. Loved her in Chinatown. I'm glad you finally saw the Oscars. When I saw the clips of best supporting actress, I predicted that one! The day of the event, I watched Dallas Buyers Club on Amazon. I was glad I did. It was only $5.99.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of women sported berets after seeing Bonnie and Clyde. I knew that Jared Leto and 12 Years A Slave were probably going to win. I was wrong about everything else. Dallas Buyers Club should be in my mailbox tomorrow, in its red Netflix envelope.
ReplyDeleteInteresting facts. Did not realize actually it happened to this extent.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the card. I feel bad as I got her a blue hand made typical Sri Lankan elephant card. Well also I am not that surprised as our postal system sucks. We never receive any parcels unless it is registered. They steal parcels. Even mail they are very careless and steal the stamps. I am so sorry but I tried.
www.thoughtsofpaps.com
You did try, PAPS, and I appreciate it. I appreciate you. You are a kind and beautiful person.
DeleteI just watched the Oscars tonight, myself. I record, too, so I can FF through a lot of it. I won't tell you anything.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wonder why we have glorified so many criminals in times past--but then now it's wall street and politicians, so what can you do? Some strange part of human nature to admire those who are clever enough to rip us off?
I think when Bonnie and Clyde began their crime spree, they seemed exciting to depression-era newspaper readers. But then they started killing people and the public wanted them caught and executed. Or just executed. It's seems fairly common to me that some of these criminal start off seeming interesting, and then most of us get sick of them.
DeleteI used to have a gray cat named Bonnie and a black cat named Clyde. They were brother and sister.
ReplyDeleteAnd I thought I came up with that pair of names.
-andi
Were they criminal kitties?
DeleteSometimes I think it would be better if I were drunk too. Serving meat loaf is less interesting than eating it, but I'm a veggie bastard so what do I know. Like Bonnie I sometimes feel the need to go back to my Mommy but she can't believe I'm a veggie so I just pour myself some bourbon. I don't like people robbing gas stations and small stores. Leave that to Uncle Sam and rob a bank instead. I'm so disappointed.
ReplyDeleteCrime really doesn't pay, unless you end up rich and run off to live on a private island.
DeleteGreat post, Janie. I really enjoy reading fun facts about people in history. Well done and thank you for sharing. : )
ReplyDeleteSteph
Great post, Janie. I really enjoy learning fun facts about people in history. I never realized there was such a height difference. Hmm. Well done, my friend. : )
ReplyDeleteSteph
You enjoyed it so much you had to comment twice! Thank you, friend.
DeleteNow this was interesting I didn't know those things about Bonnie & Clyde but of course I have heard of them who hasn't
ReplyDeleteLOL Whoops, sorry. I have issues logging in with the Google but now it seems your site knows me. I'll be stopping by more often. Fun stuff over here. :)
ReplyDelete